Week of: February 2nd, 2015
********NEWS*************************
Welcome!!!
Please join me in officially welcoming Janet Lee to our school. Janet will be taking over Liza Roger's classroom today. She comes to us from the University of Georgia and is very excited to take on this position.
We appreciate everyone for introducing yourselves to her and making her feel welcome.
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Reporting Absences
Please remember the guidelines for reporting ALL absences:
- Sick Leave? - Call, text, or email Ms. Alexander prior to 9:00 pm or after 5:30 am the day of your absence. The number is 404-964-2592.
- Personal Leave? - Request leave through Employee Express. You must put your CASE number and try to secure a sub before the leave will be approved
- Professional Leave? - Complete a course proposal and turn in to Hess. Once approved, fill out the Duty Leave Form, secure a sub, and put absence in Employee Express as Professional Leave.
Questions? Refer to pages 6,7, and 8 in the Staff Handbook. A copy is located on the T-drive under Handbook 2014-2015.
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Intent Form for 2015-2016
Please take 2 minutes to fill out the following intent form for the 2015-2016 school year. This needs to be filled out by ALL employees. This form will help us create our positions for next year as well as inform us of hiring needs. This form is not binding. Additional comments or concerns can be added at the end of the questionnaire. This should be filled out no later than Friday, February 6th.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-Sl6nuW2f7w4l8pTCQ4ZFnV4EVfrI-nzmE2KSqCfLEM/viewform?usp=send_form
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ESOL Endorsement Program for 2015-2016
Fulton County's ESOL Endorsement Program offered through Metro Resa:
- Begins August through May
- Three courses = 5 PLCs each
- Blended online and face-to-face classes that meet from 5:00-9:15 pm
See Katie Bailey for applications or more information.
**********************************************************Feedback from CLC Leaders Group
The Central Learning Community Leaders were very impressed with what is going on here at High Point. They were given three main things to look for in the classrooms. We charged them with taking a look at how we use standards in the classroom, types of questions being asked, and rigor in the independent assignments.
They gave us some great overall feedback such as:
- Students are polite and well-behaved
- Higher-level questions are being asked
- Students are engaged
- Technology is being used by students
Some questions they left us to think about were:
- Are standards/I Can Statements/EQs/Learning Targets posted for compliance or for use with students?
- How are you monitoring and giving feedback to staff in order to focus on appropriate Learning Targets?
- How does your school define rigor?
- How can you incorporate more real world application?
- How do you provide opportunities for extension?
The feedback given was very general and did not include specific teacher names. We will be working to answer some of these questions over the next semester.
We are proud of what they saw and they said that High Point is doing great things!!
**********************************************************Room Changes
Ashley Jones (SPED) and Judy Berger (ESOL) will be switching rooms effective this week. This change needed to happen in order to support students' safety as well as instruction. We want to thank Ms. Berger and Ms. Jones for their flexibility and patience through this transition. It's a LOT of work to change rooms and they did it without any hesitation. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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Clarification Regarding Learning Targets
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Clarification Regarding Learning Targets
Grade levels, as you are working with Kerstin Long on Learning Targets in Math, we want to clarify the expectations as it pertains to posting standards, I Can Statements, EQs, Learning Targets, etc....
As I have stated before, posting the standards, EQs, Learning Targets, I Can Statements are NOT beneficial if they are not reiterated to our students and used by them to create a focus each day.
If you have a Learning Target posted, then there is no need to post the standard or an Essential Question. The Learning Target has the standard embedded in it.
We know that there have been certain expectations in the past, however there are some different expectations now and we want everyone to get comfortable making shifts that are in the students' best interest. Please take a second to reflect on these questions regarding the standards in your classroom:
As I have stated before, posting the standards, EQs, Learning Targets, I Can Statements are NOT beneficial if they are not reiterated to our students and used by them to create a focus each day.
If you have a Learning Target posted, then there is no need to post the standard or an Essential Question. The Learning Target has the standard embedded in it.
We know that there have been certain expectations in the past, however there are some different expectations now and we want everyone to get comfortable making shifts that are in the students' best interest. Please take a second to reflect on these questions regarding the standards in your classroom:
- Can your students see the I Can Statements, EQs, or Learning Targets during each subject area from where they are working?
- Are you constantly referring to these throughout your lesson so that students are aware of what they are learning?
- Is there a purpose to posting a year's worth of standards?
Questions, concerns, or comments relating to this, please see someone on the Administrative Team.
Seed Fund Application and RFF Approved
The School Governance Council approved the proposed Seed Fund Application. Ms. Taylor and Ms. Pitchford will be presenting our Seed Fund Application on February 23rd and we will find out how much of our Seed Fund we earned by the end of the month. The following was proposed:
- Create a Spanish language program for students in grades K-5 (hire 1.5 Spanish teachers)
- Fund a part-time IB Coordinator position
- Pay teachers for additional hours needed to write IB transdisciplinary units as well as to give our teachers additional IB training needed to implement the PYP programme.
This is for a grand total of $178,000.
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The county also just recently approved our Request for Flexibility which was to add three professional days to our school year next year. Now that the PD days have been approved, we will be discussing our calendar and the needs of our school as we go towards IB.
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The county also just recently approved our Request for Flexibility which was to add three professional days to our school year next year. Now that the PD days have been approved, we will be discussing our calendar and the needs of our school as we go towards IB.
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Rigor and Relevance
Congratulations to Ms. Negrin for winning the "Gift of Time!" We appreciate everyone again for taking time to recognize each other!!!
Don't forget to make sure students received their 5 minutes of extra recess last week as well as tickets to give to other students showing PAWS up behavior!!!
Rigor and Relevance
On February 9th, teachers will be meeting with Donnella Cranford. You were asked to bring a lesson you have been implementing since your
last time together that included differentiation and rigor.
If you desire, you can also bring a student sample but that's not necessarily a must. Donnella is looking forward to her time with you all!
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PBIS This WeekIf you desire, you can also bring a student sample but that's not necessarily a must. Donnella is looking forward to her time with you all!
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Congratulations to Ms. Negrin for winning the "Gift of Time!" We appreciate everyone again for taking time to recognize each other!!!
Don't forget to make sure students received their 5 minutes of extra recess last week as well as tickets to give to other students showing PAWS up behavior!!!
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What I've Been Thinking About…
A recent article in the Center for Public Education talked about how we need students to track their own data in order for them to make higher gains. This is something we are working on now and is also a part of our strategic plan.
This particular article takes us on one school's journey in developing Student Data Portfolios. They wanted to get students looking more at what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they can create pathways to achieve their personal goals. It's not just about charting end of unit tests and benchmark assessments; it's about teaching students to look at their learning progression and discovering ways to improve their learning. Check out this wonderful article below:
******Math Corner*********************
Pinterest
A fan of Pinterest and looking for core math activities and
lessons for your class? Follow these interest boards developed by
NCTM.
Best practices and strategies at your fingertips!
Pre-K -2 Lesson Plans
Pre-K-2 Activities
Grades 3-5 Lesson Plans
Grades 3-5 Activities
Brain Teasers
Try these as homework problems, partner problem-solving
activities, or plain old brain teasers-a great way to get kids to model with
mathematics.
Post students’ solutions with peer comments for a high DOK
classroom display!
Pay
Me the Money
Marvin
works in the summer for his dad's lawn service, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. His
dad offers to pay him $125 a week. Instead, Marvin offers to work for $0.01 the
first day, $0.02 the second day, $0.04 the third day, $0.08 the fourth day, and
so on. Should Marvin's dad accept his offer? Explain.
Cooking
With Fractions
Chef
Fracto has 9 cups of milk. He uses 1/2 of the milk plus 1/2 cup to make
pancakes. He uses 1/2 of what is left plus 1/2 cup to make French toast. Next,
he uses 1/2 of what is left plus 1/2 cup to make muffins. How much milk does he
use for each of the three recipes? How much milk is left?
Extra Strategies for Struggling Learners
If you are looking for strategies to support struggling
students, including those who are served by the Special Education Program,
please click on this link.
Scroll down to the bottom of the webpage to locate many
resources for supporting students in math.
****VISUALS OF BEST PRACTICE *******
In Ms. Charles’ 5th grade EIP Reading class, her
students looked at the IB Learner Profiles and she chose one to have as an IB
Focus for her lessons (Risk Taker). Ms. Charles got a story in which the
character portrayed that learner profile. She read the story and students
needed to discover how the character represented that learner profile. They
wrote on sticky notes(see the pix of the chart)themselves then collaborated
with their peers then the teacher facilitated an even deeper discussion.
Ms. Charles brought in fictional and non-fictional characters so students
can make that deeper real world connection.
*****WRITERS' GALLERY**********
The writers' gallery/pledge is hosted by Ms. Ellis's class this week.
The writers' gallery/pledge will be hosted by Ms. Roger's class next week.
******CALENDAR OF EVENTS*******
Monday, February 2nd
Groundhog Day!
National Counseling Week! (Thank you to Ms. Salmons!)
9:30 - Parent Tours
Tuesday, February 3rd
1:30 - Leadership Meeting
Pitchford to Macon for Focus School Training
Wednesday, February 4th
College Spirit Wear
Pitchford to CLC Principals Meeting
Pitchford to Macon for Focus School Training
Wednesday, February 4th
College Spirit Wear
Pitchford to CLC Principals Meeting
Thursday, February 5th
PSCs go home for 1st graders
Grade Level Newsletters go home
My Friends Place for Lunch - Order by Wednesday
2:50 - PLCs
Grade Level Newsletters go home
My Friends Place for Lunch - Order by Wednesday
2:50 - PLCs
Friday, February 6th
7:30 - PTA Executive Board Meeting
10:00 - Focus School Meeting
Send your tickets down and change your Student of the Week!
7:30 - PTA Executive Board Meeting
10:00 - Focus School Meeting
Send your tickets down and change your Student of the Week!
******BIRTHDAYS! ****************
Happy birthday to Jessica Bassett TODAY!! We hope you have a wonderful birthday!!!
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